Circuit-controlling apparatus



(No Model.)

F. M. BRINGKERHOPP. CIRCUIT GONTROLLING APPARATUS.

No. 580,519; Patented Apr. 13, 1897.

'W/TNESSESf v INVENTOH wm MM- ATTORNEYS.

FRANCIS M. BRINCKERHOFF, OF MATTEAW'AN, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR TO THE ROW'ELL-POTTER SAFETY STOP COMPANY, OF PORTLAND, MAINE.

CIRCUIT-CONTROLLING APPARATUS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters PatentNo. 580,519, dated April 13, 1897.

Application filed March 1O 1 8 9 6.

To aZZ whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, FRANCIS M. BRINOKER- I-IOFF, of Matteawan, Dutchess county, State of New York, have in vented an Improved Circuit-Controlling Apparatus, of which the following is a specification, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is an elevation of my apparatus applied to a railway for closing a circuit by the passage of a train. Fig. 2 is an elevation of a portion of the apparatus shown in Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a plan, partly in section, on line 3 3. Fig. 4. is a plan, on a larger scale, of the portion of the apparatus not shown in Fig. 3. Fig. 5 is a perspective view, enlarged for clearness, of the parts shown on right of Fig. 2.

My invention consists in details of construction of a circuit-controlling apparatus made up of a switch-jaw and a moving member actuated through suitable connections by the passage of a train.

In the drawings, A is a lever actuated by the pressure of a passing train on rail R in the usual way and carrying the plunger a, which is moved endwise against the force of its spring a when a train passes over rail R and retracted by the force of spring a after the train has passed. Plunger a is connected by pin a with friction-arm B. Friction-arm B is mounted upon stud I), carried by standard F, and a spring I), surrounding stud b, continually presses arm 13 against frictionarm D, also mounted upon stud 1'), thus giving the two arms a frictional connection. Screws cl d, carried by arm D, serve, in connection with standard F, as stops to limit the motion of arm D, as may be desired. (See Fig. 3.)

It will be obvious that by means of the friction connection B D excessive movement of the actuating mechanism of the circuit-controller is rendered harmless to the mechanism of the circuit-controller, as the motion of the outer end of friction-arm B upward (the apparatus being in the position shown in the drawings) will carry with it friction-arm D until stop cl brings up against standard F, and thereafter friction-arm B will move independently of friction-arm D. Friction-arm D also carries two other adjustable stops g 9 Mounted at the outer end of stud b is an arm g, the end of which projects upward between the stops g 9 (see Figs. 1 and 3,) and fast to the upper end of arm g is a contact-knife G. A spring g connects arm D and arm g and tends to keep arm 9 pressed against stop 9 The operation is as follows: WVhen arm B is moved upward by the passage of a train, arm D moves with it by reason of the frictional contact of the two arms. Arm 9 being in contact with stop 9 under pressure ofspring g the movement of arm D, which carries stop 9 forces arm 9 to the right (see Fig. 1) until knifev G, fast to the upper end of arm g, is forced between the jaws of the switch-jaw g, which are supported by pins ff in bar f the two members of the jaw being kept closely connected by a spring f upon pin f. It will be obvious that resist ance to the entrance of knife G between jaws g and its exit therefrom will be more or less great, according to the pressure exerted by spring f and the relative strength of springs f and g is a matter of practical importance in the construction of my controller. 'When the outer end of arm B makes its downward stroke under the influence of spring a, arm D will be returned to its normal position with stop 61 against standard F, arm B completing its back stroke after arm D is arrested by its stop cl if the upward stroke of arm B was in excess of the motion to which arm D is limited by its stops; but arm g not being fast to arm D, but independently mounted upon stud b, will not move with arm 1), for the friction of knife G in jaws g, which are pressed together by spring f (see Fig. 4B,) is sufficient to prevent arm g from moving under the thrustof spring g until stop g strikes arm 9' and compels arm g and knife G, fast to arm g, to move. As soon as knife Gis forced out of jaws g by stop 9 spring g is left free to act and throws arm 9 over against stop g thus preventing an are between knife G and jaws g. The parts 13, D, and g are all loosely mounted upon the stud Z7.

What I claim as my invention is-- 1. A circuit-controlling apparatus consisting of a standard F; a stud b projecting from that standard; an arm D loosely mounted upon that stud and controlling arm g; that arm g'carryingaknife G, andloosely mounted jaws together, and cause them to press upon upon stud. 1); spring g connecting arm D and the knife; all combined substantially as de- 10 arm 9; jaws g, fast to standard F and means scribed. to actuate arm D all or 'anized and 0 eratin T v as described. D I p FRAL CIS M. BRINOKERIIOFF.

2. In a knife-switch the jaws; a post at one WVitnesses: end, sustaining the jaws; a guide-post for the J. O. WHITMAN, jaws; and a spring, as f, tending to press the GEO. I-I. BLISS. 

